9/1/08

Republican Blundering

I've mentioned this before...but I was raised Republican. As a conservative, I generally relate better with the GOP agenda than the Democrats. However, the last eight years have really caused a divergence between my raised values and my new look on life.

If I were still a hardcore republican, I'd be PISSED that McCain picked Sarah Palin as his VP.

She has been Governor of Alaska for 18 months. Before that, she was mayor of Wasilla, AK. End of Line. No, I don't count her time as PTA President or newscaster as her 'experience'. Wasilla, AK has a population of Vinita, OK or about half of Claremore. The entire state of Alaska has 200k less people than the Tulsa metro area. Although this is, indeed, experience...it's not experience for the Vice Presidency. And, let's face it, with McCain's age and history, she is auditioning for the highest office in the land.

She's in the middle of an ongoing investigation where it's alleged that she fired an official for not terminating an Alaska State Trooper.

Most recently her campaign announced that her teenage daughter is pregnant. Now, I know a lot of American families go through this, and I'm not bashing anyone; but this kind of family drama takes a lot of focus and attention. Let alone separately raising a 4 month old newborn with Down's Syndrome.

She doesn't know what the office of VP actually does. Check the YouTube clip, it's everywhere.

She has no foreign relations experience. The fact that several national newscasters (and Cindy McCain) have pointed to her proximity to Russia as foreign relations experience is disturbing.

I would be furious as a Republican, and I'm still upset as a Democrat. Not because McCain picked her, but because she is being so feverishly defended in light of her glaring unpreparedness and gimmicky nomination to get the female vote.